Royal Opera House – On Screen and On Demand 

  • Brand-new this week on Royal Opera House Stream: Theodora (2022)
  • The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration in global cinemas
Theodora, Royal Opera House, January 2022

This week, the Royal Opera House is delighted to be bringing world class art to audiences across the globe – offering the very best of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera in cinemas and on demand.

On Thursday 17 November, Katie Mitchell’s gripping new production of Handel’s Theodora (4*) will be available to watch on Royal Opera House Stream.

Sung in the original English libretto and conducted by Baroque specialist Harry Bicket, the opera is a tour de force for soloists and chorus alike, with ensembles, duets and arias of profound depth and beauty.

The opera’s stellar cast includes soprano Julia Bullock as Theodora, making her Main Stage debut; Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; Opus Klassik award-winning countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński; tenor Ed Lyon; baritone Gyula Orendt; and Jette Parker Young Artist Thando Mjandana.

The performance is released alongside a rich array of behind-the-scenes content, including a masterclass with Joyce DiDonato and an Insight event about the production.

Artists of The Royal Ballet in The Royal Ballet production of Jewels, a ballet in three acts choreographed by George Balanchine (1904-1983) to music by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and Igor Stravinsky, performed at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 16 December 2013 ARPDATA ; JEWELS ; Music by Gabriel Fauré, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky ; Choreography by George Balanchine ; Artists of The Royal Ballet ; The Royal Ballet ; At the Royal Opera House, London, UK ; 16 December 2013 ; Credit: Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House / ArenaPAL

The night before, on Wednesday 16 November, The Royal Ballet: A Diamond Celebration will be broadcast live on opening night to over 850 cinemas in 31 countries around the world.

The evening will offer an unmissable opportunity to see a stunning roster of Royal Ballet Principal dancers, the highest rank in the Company, together on stage. The gala celebrates the breadth and diversity of the Company’s repertory with a mix of classic and contemporary gems.

It includes The Royal Ballet’s first performance of For Four by Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon; world premieres by Pam Tanowitz, Royal Ballet Emerging Choreographer Joseph Toonga and First Soloist Valentino Zucchetti; and a performance of Diamonds, from George Balanchine’s Jewels. Encore screenings will run from Sunday 20 November 2022.

These two productions add to further free content on BBC channels. Oliver Mears’ new production of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia – conducted by Corinna Niemeyer and sung by a cast drawn from the Jette Parker Artists Programme and the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme – will be broadcast on Saturday 26 November 2022 on BBC Radio 3.

Additional Royal Opera House productions continue to be available on BBC iPlayer.

Subscribe to Royal Opera House Stream today at roh.org.uk/stream.

Find your local cinema here: roh.org.uk/cinema.  

Book Festival opens this morning

Today’s the day! The 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival begins!

Join us in-person at Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh or live online for the first day of our first ever hybrid Festival, from our brand new home!

See what’s on today at a glance below, and head to our website to book tickets to watch live in-person or online:

https://edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/events?